thesis statement for indian act

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USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The indian removal act: a legal deception.

Joshua Carbaugh

First Advisor

Thesis Director: Elisa Minoff, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of History, College of Arts and Sciences

Second Advisor

Thesis Committee Member: John W. Arthur, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences

University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Document Type

Date available, publication date, date issued.

The election of President Andrew Jackson in 1828 signaled a new era for the early United States. For many Americans, it would be a period of unprecedented democracy in what had typically been a republic reserved for elites.1 With the advent of the Jackson administration many of his opponents were now struck with apprehension. There was a fear that the United States was “sinking down into despotism, under the disguise of a democratic government.”2 For the Native American tribes of the southern United States, this fear was fully manifest. The tribal sovereignty that they had enjoyed up until this point had suddenly come under threat. Their political survival became uncertain. The governments of the Southern states had become intrepid in dealing with the tribes which they viewed as obstacles to expansion. President Jackson’s ascension would instigate a tumultuous time for the tribal nations. Jackson’s popularity was partially derived from his unwavering stance in support of rapid Indian Removal.3 His election was greeted with expectation that a solution to the “Indian Question” would finally be constructed. With the introduction of his Indian Removal Act, of which he was instrumental in its drafting, these expectations were met.4 The bill itself could not singlehandedly force the tribes to emigrate, however. Indian Removal was instead accomplished through a combination of unlawful state legislation and the act itself. The Indian Removal Act would sour an already strained relationship between the Native American tribes and the United States, as Jackson and his supporters defied federal law to remove the Five Civilized Tribes to west of the Mississippi. With open disregard for the law, the forces of Jackson’s Democratic Party succeeded in winning a major victory for the white supremacists, populists, and expansionists that made up the core of Jackson’s support.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University Honors Program, University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

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Recommended Citation

Carbaugh, Joshua, "The Indian Removal Act: A Legal Deception" (2017). USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate). https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/honorstheses/187

Since September 25, 2017

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The first amendment, historic document, indian removal act (1830).

Congress | 1830

Signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson, the Removal Act authorized the president to negotiate with Native American tribes for federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. Although some tribes accepted the Act, others such as the Cherokees resisted. During the Fall and Winter of 1838-39, the Cherokee were forcibly removed by the United States government in a march that later became known as the Trail of Tears.

Selected by

Laura F. Edwards

Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty, and Professor of History at Princeton University

E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Richmond

CHAP. CXLVIII. - An Act to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi.

            Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled , That it shall and may be lawful for the President of the United States to cause so much of any territory belonging to the United States, west of the river Mississippi, not included in any state or organized territory, and to which the Indian title has been extinguished, as he may judge necessary, to be divided into a suitable number of districts, for the reception of such tribes or nations of Indians as may choose to exchange the lands where they now reside, and remove there; and to cause each of said districts to be so described by natural or artificial marks, as to be easily distinguished from every other.

            SEC. 2. And be it further enacted , That it shall and may be lawful for the President to exchange any or all of such districts, so to be laid off and described, with any tribe or nation of Indians now residing within the limits of any of the states or territories, and with which the United States have existing treaties, for the whole or any part or portion of the territory claimed and occupied by such tribe or nation, within the bounds of any one or more of the states or territories, where the land claimed and occupied by the Indians, is owned by the United States, or the United States are bound to the state within which it lies to extinguish the Indian claim thereto.

            SEC. 3. And be it further enacted , That in the making of any such exchange or exchanges, it shall and may be lawful for the President solemnly to assure the tribe or nation with which the exchange is made, that the United States will forever secure and guaranty to them, and their heirs or successors, the country so exchanged with them; and if they prefer it, that the United States will cause a patent or grant to be made and executed to them for the same: Provided always , That such lands shall revert to the United States, if the Indians become extinct, or abandon the same.

APPROVED, May 28, 1830.

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Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal Act Essay

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One of America’s most important and most controversial presidents, Andrew Jackson is also one of our least understood. Perhaps the biggest controversy Andrew faced was when he signed the Indian Removal Act. This forced five Native American Indian tribes to be moved so that America could use the land. At the time, his actions in the office may be questionable to some, but no one can deny how beneficial he was for our country at that time. Despite him being born into poverty and not receiving quality education did not hinder Andrew Jackson from changing the country.

Not only was Andrew Jackson elected to be the 7th president of the United States of America (almost winning 70% of the votes cast in the electoral college), but was also a military hero, and wealthy Tennessee lawyer. These reasons and more are what made Andrew Jackson far different than any other president that America has ever had. Not only was Andrew Jackson the most outrageous, but most important as well. Important because Andrew Jackson completely changed how this country works, and outrageous by the way he fought duels, his personal life, and beliefs. Andrew Jackson was born on March 15th, 1767 in Waxhaws, South Carolina, but people speculate that he was born in Virginia. “But Jackson himself maintained he was from South Carolina.” (History.com)

The son of Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson and Andrew Jackson, two Irish immigrants. Jackson’s family did not have a lot of money and this meant Jackson could not receive formal schooling. Not only was he born into poverty, but also never knew his father, who died the same year Jackson was born. Jackson’s oldest brother, Hugh Jackson also died. Hugh fought in the Battle of Stono Ferry against the British. However, Hugh did not die from a battle related incident, but rather heat exhaustion. Things only got worse when the British invaded the Carolinas in 1780-1781. “Jackson’s mother encouraged him and his brother to serve and support the local military.” (legendsofamerica.com) Jackson and his brother ended up joining the local military and this is where Andrew Jackson began his long and successful military career. At the Battle of Hanging Rock on August 6th, 1781 Andrew and Robert were captured by the British and kept as prisoners of war at the Crawford family home. While at the Crawford home a British officer ordered Andrew Jackson to clean his boots. After Andrew refused the British officer slashed his left hand and head with a saber, leaving him with scars on his left hand and head. During their time as prisoners of war, both contracted smallpox and barely survived. This is because the British would barely feed them enough to live off. Later that year their mother secured the brothers’ release. As they began to walk back to their home, Robert’s conditions got much worse and within two days of arriving home he died, and Andrew was in mortal danger. After Andrew’s mother nursed him back to health, she begins to volunteer on board two British ships in the Charleston harbor.

On board, these ships there was an outbreak of cholera and in November, the died from the disease and buried in an unmarked grave. This left Andrew as an orphan at only the age of 14. Andrew blamed the British personally for the loss of his brothers and mother. This was the motivation that propelled him to succeed in his life. He drew from his hatred for the British. Being alone at such a young age, this caused Andrew to enter the adult world at such a young age. Jackson received an education in a local Waxhaw school. In 1781 he worked as a saddle-maker and eventually taught school. He found both professions bland and in 1884 left Waxhaws region for Salisbury, North Carolina. Here Jackson would study law under attorney Spruce Macay. With help from other lawyers, Jackson was able to learn enough to qualify for the bar. Jackson was admitted to the North Carolina bar in September 1787. Shortly after he would get appointed to a vacant prosecutor position in the Western District of North Carolina (which would later become the state known as Tennessee). During his travel, west, Jackson bought his first slave and fought his first duel in 1788. In addition to his legal and political career, Jackson was also prospered as a slave owner, planer, and merchant. Jackson also fought for our country. He served as a major general in the War of 1812. Jackson commanded U.S. forces in a five-month campaign against the Creek Indians.

After that Jackson led American forces to Victory the British in the Battle of New Orleans. “Once news of the Victory reached Washington, Jackson was elevated to the status of a national war hero.” (Mecham 239) These reasons are why Andrew Jackson had such a successful political career and achieved many milestones for the American Nation. In the late spring of 1822, Andrew Jackson suffered a physical breakdown. This is due to his body having two bullets lodged in it, and his body was exhausted from the years of military campaigning. It was normal for him to cough up blood and his whole body would shake. After months of rest, he recovered. During this brink of death, his thoughts turned not onto himself, but to national affairs. His thoughts obsessed over the corruption in the Monroe administration and he grew to detest the Second Bank of the United States. Jackson blamed it for causing the Panic of 1819. To quote Andrew Jackson, “I have always been afraid of the banks.” Because of this “The Bank War” started. This name was given to the campaign President Andrew Jackson started in 1833 to destroy the Second Bank of the United States. In 1832, Jackson had vetoed a bill calling for an early renewal of the Second Bank’s charter (supposed to expire in 1811). Even after this renewal was still possible even after it expired.

To prevent that from happening, Jackson set out to reduce the bank’s economic power. On October 1, 1833, Jackson announced that federal funds would no longer be deposited in the Bank of the United States. Instead, he began placing federal funds in different state banks. Nicholas Biddle (the president of the Bank), to anticipate Jackson’s next move, began a countermove in August 1833. He started presenting state bank notes for redemption, calling in loans, and general contracting credit. The president of the Bank, Nicholas Biddle tried to counter Jackson’s actions by the thought that a financial crisis would dramatize the need for a central bank, ensuring support for charter renewal in 1836. Biddle’s attempt appears to have less effect than he predicted. “This led to the Bank War becoming a matter of intense debate in Congress, in the press, and among the public.” (ushistory.org) A large number of businessmen made their way to Washington to complain about business conditions and wanting to end the bank war. Biddle attempt to show how important the central bank was only ended up exposing that it could disrupt the economy and show the true dangers of the central bank. Due to this, the federal deposits were not returned to the Second Bank and its charter ended up expiring in 1836.

President Jackson had won the Bank War. Not all the things Andrew Jackson did for this country are looked at as a benefit. One important thing that Andrew Jackson did that was not so good was to sign the Indian removal act. At the beginning of the 1830s, there were about 125,000 Native Americans living on millions of acres of land in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida. Their ancestors had occupied and cultivated this land for generations. But by the end of the decade, not many natives remained anywhere in the southeastern United States. “White Americans, particularly those who lived on the western frontier, often feared and resented the Native Americans they encountered: To them, American Indians seemed to be an unfamiliar alien people who occupied land that white settlers wanted and believed they deserved.” (Ehle 53) In the early years, the American republic believed the best way to solve the “Indian problem” was to try and civilize them. The reason Americans wanted the land they lived on was due to it being valuable due to it being prime spots for settlers to make their fortunes by growing cotton. State governments joined in this effort to attempt to drive out the Native Americans.

As an Army general, Jackson has spent years leading brutal raids against the Creeks in Georgia and Alabama, as well as the Seminoles in Florida. As president, he continued this crusade. In 1830, he signed the Indian Removal Act. This gave the federal government the power to turn the Native held land into the cotton paradise east of the Mississippi. This new law required the government to negotiate removal treaties fairly, voluntarily and most importantly peacefully. It did not permit the president or anyone else to force the Native nations into giving up their land. President Jackson and his government frequently ignored this law. Jackson forced Native Americans to vacate their lands that they have lived on for generations. In 1831, the Choctaw became the first nation to be kicked off their land and forced to make the journey to their new “Indian territory” (located in present-day Oklahoma) on foot and some even bound in chains.

The Choctaw made this walk without food, supplies, or any help from the government. Thousands died along the journey. The Indian Removal process continued until 1840. By then tens of thousands of Native Americans had been forcefully removed from their land in the southeastern states and forced to move across the Mississippi to Indian territory. The Federal Government promised that their new land would stay Indian country. In 1907, Oklahoma became a state and the land was gone for good. Andrew Jackson’s impact upon the United States of America was so immensely important. Yes, Jackson was the 7th president and very controversial (which is maybe why he was the target for the first presidential assassination) but he also did so much for this country. Jackson was the main founder of the modern Democratic party. Jackson is the reason why you, me, and generations to come get to choose to be a Republican or a Democrat. Jackson also solved the nullification crisis by creating the Compromise Tariff of 1833 which ended the crisis. As much as it was a tragedy because Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, we have the states and land we have today. In my opinion, Andrew Jackson will always be one of Americas most impactful and controversial president that we will ever have. If the United States never elected him, America might have been a completely different place.

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Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal Act Essay. (2021, May 14). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/andrew-jackson-and-indian-removal-act-essay/

"Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal Act Essay." PapersOwl.com , 14 May 2021, https://papersowl.com/examples/andrew-jackson-and-indian-removal-act-essay/

PapersOwl.com. (2021). Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal Act Essay . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/andrew-jackson-and-indian-removal-act-essay/ [Accessed: 30 Apr. 2024]

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"Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal Act Essay," PapersOwl.com , 14-May-2021. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/andrew-jackson-and-indian-removal-act-essay/. [Accessed: 30-Apr-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2021). Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal Act Essay . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/andrew-jackson-and-indian-removal-act-essay/ [Accessed: 30-Apr-2024]

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History: Native Canadians and Indian Act Essay

Introduction/thesis statement, body of the paper, works cited.

Even though the so-called Indian Act of 1985 is often being referred to, as such that benefits Native Canadians in several different ways (such as exempting them from taxes), there are certain doubts about whether it indeed happened to be the case. The reason for this is simple – this particular legislation, concerned with First Nations in Canada, appears to be deeply arrogant, in the discursive sense of this word.

The fact that the Act refers to Natives as ‘Indians’ can alone illustrate the validity of this suggestion. This, however, is not the worst thing about it. What seems to be especially troubling about the Act in question is that it continues to serve as the tool of subtle oppression against Natives.

To confirm the soundness of the above-stated, one would not have to go far – according to the Act: “Subject to this Act, reserves are held by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of the respective bands” (Government of Canada A18). In other words, it is specifically the British Queen, who is endowed with the right to exercise the right of ultimate ownership over reserve-lands in Canada.

What it means is that there is always a theoretical possibility for Natives to be told to leave their reserves – simply because the Queen wishes so. In other words, despite having been ‘polished’ through the nineties to sound less racist, the concerned Act continues to emanate the spirit of colonialism. Given the realities of a modern living in Canada, this can be hardly considered appropriate.

Another indication that the Act is being conceptually erroneous can well serve the contained provisions of how a Native person can be distinguished from the non-Native one. According to them, it is namely the legally scrutinized specifics of the concerned person’s ancestry, which qualify him or her for the status-related rights and privileges. What it means is that, as it appears from the Act, one’s ‘nativeness’ is essentially a legal subject matter.

However, the Act’s implication, in this respect, appears utterly inconsistent with what Natives believe makes them different from the rest of Canadians. After all, it is namely the fact that they happened to be affiliated with the spiritually rich and environmentally friendly indigenous culture, which affects their stance in life more than anything else does. The earlier mentioned consideration is omitted from the Act altogether.

According to it, there is very little difference between non-Natives and Natives in Canada, except for the fact that the latter happened to be visually distinguishable and somewhat ‘odd.’ Therefore, there is nothing incidental about the fact that back in the past, the Act used to provide a legal back-up to the practice of having Native children separated from their families and sent to the so-called ‘foster homes’ (Frideres 76).

Nevertheless, the Act’s most negative effect upon the well-being of Natives is concerned with its intention to patronize First Nations. It is understood, of course, that the Act does make it possible for Natives not to pay taxes. However, this has been achieved at the expense of undermining these people’s willingness to strive to advance in life. As a result, many Natives end up becoming drug-addicts and alcoholics.

This simply could not be otherwise, as they innately feel that, instead of referring to them as the truly unique people, worthy of admiration, the Act refers to them in terms of a ‘nuisance.’ Therefore, I have no other option but to reinstate once again that the Indian Act can hardly be considered progressive legislation.

Frideres, James. First Nations in the Twenty-First Century . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.

Government of Canada 2014, “Indian Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. I-5)”. Justice Laws Website . Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

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IvyPanda. (2023, December 31). History: Native Canadians and Indian Act. https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-native-canadians-and-indian-act/

"History: Native Canadians and Indian Act." IvyPanda , 31 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/history-native-canadians-and-indian-act/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'History: Native Canadians and Indian Act'. 31 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "History: Native Canadians and Indian Act." December 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-native-canadians-and-indian-act/.

1. IvyPanda . "History: Native Canadians and Indian Act." December 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-native-canadians-and-indian-act/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "History: Native Canadians and Indian Act." December 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-native-canadians-and-indian-act/.

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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